Plans for bigger Hong Kong Science Museum to be finalised by end of the year, government says
- Leisure and Cultural Services Department says visitor numbers bigger than the venue, opened in 1991, was intended to handle
- Local councillors welcome plan, but note potential for traffic trouble
Plans to spruce up and expand Hong Kong’s decades-old science museum could be finished by the end of the year as visitor numbers outstrip the volume it was designed to handle, officials said on Thursday.
Chan Shing-wai, assistant director at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), said more than 1 million people visit the Hong Kong Science Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui each year on average, and officials would talk to the district council and community groups about making it bigger.
Opened in 1991, the museum has long been a popular site for students and families to learn about science through interactive displays and games. The neighbouring Hong Kong Museum of History – which welcomes more than 1.2 million guests on average annually – will also be included in the expansion proposal.
“The number of visitors to the science museum has exceeded what it could handle, as stated in its design plan, made 20 to 30 years ago,” Chan said.
“We hope to make an initial expansion plan within this year.”
